The other party also saw Xie Zhaozhao.

The man looked her up and down, a fleeting look of amazement crossing his eyes.

When Xie Zhaozhao saw her brother again, her eyes welled up with tears. However, since there were other men present, she greeted him openly and generously, "Brother."

"Is my little sister going out?"

Xie Yu was delighted to see her younger sister. Her sister had lost her mother at birth and was well-behaved and sensible from a young age. Even at such a young age, she possessed excellent feminine appearance and virtue.

Xie Zhaozhao lowered her eyes and smiled gently, saying politely, "Brother, Grandmother has asked me to meet the guests in the mansion, so I will take my leave now."

With the man present, she couldn't linger. After replying, she took small steps back and left.

Xie Yu watched her sister walk away, feeling a slight pang of regret.

Today is the first time that Grand Secretary Gu has come to the mansion. If he had known that his sister was going to his grandmother’s Wutong Garden from here, he would not have taken Grand Secretary Gu to tour the garden.

Gu Shaoyu watched Xie Zhaozhao walk away quickly, a smile playing on his lips.

Miss Xie, truly a lady of a distinguished family. Her posture was upright, and she walked with light and slow steps, each step measured precisely; the hair ornaments and earrings on her head remained almost perfectly still.

The Guanyin is dignified, the peony is breathtaking; the Guanyin's face truly lives up to its reputation.

If I'm not mistaken, the guests she's going to meet are the old lady and the lady of the Marquis of Pingyang's mansion, right?

The Xie family, one of the four great aristocratic families, became even more prosperous after the chaos of the Eight Princes of Jin and the southward migration of the elite. The saying "four generations of three dukes" refers to a family like the Xie family, which was a family of high-ranking officials.

After the establishment of the Great Gan regime, it was wary of the powerful families and suppressed them in many ways. The four great families gradually went into hiding and became cautious in everything they did.

But the Xie family is still the Xie family, and even the current Chief Minister Liu has to treat them with respect.

As for Marquis Pingyang, if it weren't for the old Marquis's life-saving grace to the Xie family, he wouldn't even have the right to marry a concubine's daughter, let alone the legitimate daughter.

Xie Zhaozhao walked to the outside of Wutong Garden and happened to meet Xie Xiangxiang, who was also coming to her grandmother's courtyard.

The maid at the door immediately went in to report: "The eldest young lady and the second young lady have arrived."

Lady Tu, the wife of the Marquis, watched the two sisters approaching from afar in the main hall of the Wutong Garden, her feelings somewhat complicated.

The young lady was tall and slender, wearing an apricot-yellow round-necked jacket embroidered with peonies, a moon-colored cross-collared jacket, a peach-pink long skirt with peonies, and a bright red cloak with peonies on top.

Her complexion was like the morning glow reflecting on snow, or like a lotus emerging from the water; her hair was like spring clouds, her eyes like autumn waves, and her lips like cherries.

The eldest daughter of the Xie family, with a face like Guanyin, was indeed beautiful.

The second young lady, Xie Xiangxiang, wore a snow-white satin jacket embroidered with gold peonies, the collar covered with intricate patterns, and a pink brocade skirt. The pearl on the phoenix hairpin in her hair was lustrous and round.

The second young lady heard that she was going to marry the eldest grandson of Prince Jing.

Lady Tu, the wife of the Marquis, was unwilling to accept that the two young ladies of the Xie family were destined to have no chance with her son.

"Zhaozhao, Xiangxiang, quickly greet the old lady and the Marquis's wife."

The stepmother, Madam Xu, also had a complicated look in her eyes. She glanced at Xie Zhaozhao a few times without making a sound, and then affectionately asked the two young ladies to greet the guest.

When Xie Zhaozhao saw her mother-in-law from her previous life again, she felt only disgust and hatred. In her previous life, Tu Shi clearly knew about Gu Chengyan's mistress and that the two adopted sons were Gu Chengyan's biological children, yet she still tormented her every day for not being able to have children!

In this life, she had no further connection with the Tu family.

She bowed to Madam Tu with a calm and polite demeanor, her manners impeccable, neither obsequious nor arrogant, as noble as a celestial being in the clouds.

Tu Shi was so inexplicably afraid to utter a sound, and feelings of humility and submission arose in her heart.

Xie Xiangxiang, on the other hand, greeted Madam Tu with a smile and said very politely, "The spring chill is still in the air, Auntie, please take care of yourself."

Her overtures and humble demeanor immediately eased the tension that had been building up against Xie Zhaozhao in Tu Shi.

Old Madam Hou scrutinized Xie Zhaozhao several times with her shrewd old eyes, and said kindly, "Good child, sit down and talk."

Xie Zhaozhao and Xie Xiangxiang sat quietly in Wutong Garden for a quarter of an hour before their grandmother told them to go back.

After leaving Wutong Garden, Xie Xiangxiang was in a good mood and accompanied Xie Zhaozhao to admire the pear blossoms in full bloom in the courtyard through the covered walkway.

"Elder sister, I heard that the Living Buddha came to the manor today?"

Xie Zhaozhao smiled faintly, avoiding the topic, and only asked, "When will the betrothal gifts be exchanged between the Prince Jing's grandson whom Mother has arranged for my sister?"

Xie Xiangxiang looked a little embarrassed: "Well, my mother said she needs to inquire further."

"The Prince Jing's mansion is wealthy and prestigious, and enjoys constant favors; it must be excellent."

"What's so good about her? She's all talk and no action! She frequents brothels and walks her dog. She's always either gambling dens or brothels. If you marry someone like that, you'll be unlucky for life." Xie Xiangxiang's face instantly turned angry and sarcastic.

Xie Zhaozhao pursed her lips slightly and smiled, "It's a high-status marriage for a daughter of the Xie family to the Prince Jing's mansion. No matter what, once married, she'll have a life of plenty and a noble status. I'll even have to bow to you when I see you in the future!"

Xie Xiangxiang swallowed the words she was about to say and said to Xie Zhaozhao, "Elder sister, I have something to do, so I'll go back first."

Xie Zhaozhao reached out and caught a snow-white pear blossom. Her eyes were gentle. Xie Xiangxiang also wanted to call off the engagement.

Back in the courtyard, she began to look through the shop's account books.

These shops were all part of my mother's dowry. After my mother passed away, they were all entrusted to Granny Xu, who came with her as part of her dowry, for safekeeping.

From the age of eight, Xu Mama taught Xie Zhaozhao how to manage a household and run a shop.

Sunlight streamed through the window and shone on her pale hands. Dust motes floated and sank in the sunlight, just like Xie Zhaozhao's always dignified face, graceful and serene in the sunlight.

Around noon, Yuanyuan, who had been wandering around Wutong Garden gathering information, returned to the courtyard with a strange expression.

"Miss, what do you think the Second Miss means? She's actually pestering Madam to marry the Marquis of Pingyang's heir!"

The maid in the lady's courtyard said that last night, Xie Xiangxiang suddenly ran to her mother's courtyard and insisted on breaking off the marriage with Prince Jing's mansion. She said that Prince Jing's mansion was a place that would devour people without spitting out their bones, and asked Madam Xu to find a way so that she could exchange marriages with the eldest young lady.

The Pingyang Marquis's family was poor. If it weren't for the fact that the old Marquis of Pingyang had saved Xie Zhaozhao's grandfather's life, how could the Xie family have married their eldest daughter into the Marquis's family?

Madam Xu tried every means to secure a marriage for her biological daughter, Xie Xiangxiang, to the Prince Jing's mansion. However, when it was time to exchange the betrothal gifts, Xie Xiangxiang refused to go.

Madam Xu tried her best to persuade Xie Xiangxiang not to miss the opportunity to visit Prince Jing's mansion, but Xie Xiangxiang refused to listen. Madam Xu slapped her hard, and the mother and daughter had a big argument.

"The second young lady threatened to kill herself, saying that if the madam prevented her from marrying into the Marquis's mansion, she would be ruining her lifelong happiness."

"She even said that the heir of the Marquis of Pingyang has caught the Crown Prince's eye, and that the heir of the Gu family will surely rise to prominence. If she marries him, she will definitely be granted the title of a first-rank noblewoman, and Madam Qing will be waiting to become the mother-in-law of the Duke. Is she having a fit of hysteria?"

Manman was also surprised: "Didn't she always mock the young lady for marrying down? Why is she trying to steal her now?"

"Let her be." Xie Zhaozhao was taken aback. Why did Xie Xiangxiang's words sound so familiar?

At noon, Xie Xiangxiang brought Xie Zhaozhao a basket of apricots, her eyes and brows unable to conceal her pride and shyness.

"Eldest sister, the marriage has been arranged."